Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are our modern-day heroes, not just for their families and loved ones back home, but for the whole nation. Their sacrifices, leaving behind everything familiar to build a better future, are a powerful statement of their love and resilience. Each remittance they send back is more than just money—it’s a piece of their heart, keeping their families and the Philippines going strong.
To celebrate the accomplishments of OFWs, big and small, NutriAsia’s episode entitled ‘Lumpiang Shanghai for Modern Day Heroes’ is dedicated to all Filipinos working abroad.
During the episode, the show’s host, Vince Ang, welcomed their special guest, Joewayne Lord Rey Alvin Asuncion. As an assistant director at American Hospital Dubai, Joewayne has known what it is like to be an OFW for a long time and is proud of the country’s modern-day Filipino.
For this National Heroes Day celebration, the episode showed how to cook Lumpiang Shanghai, a dish that is always present on almost every Filipino occasion. Joewayne revealed that it was one of his favorite dishes since it is delicious and easy to cook.
To make Lumpiang Shanghai, they used Datu Puti Soy Sauce, which gives the dish its natural umami flavor. Joewayne also grabbed bottles of Jufran Sweet Chili and UFC Banana Sauce, which are perfect for dipping Lumpiang Shanghai.
“Ikaw ba ay team UFC Banana Sauce or team Jufran Sweet Chili Sauce?” Vince asked.
“Actually, depende. Kasi minsan, gusto ko may kick, so Jufran Sweet Chili Sauce tayo. Pero kung medyo classic lang, UFC Banana Sauce tayo,” answered Joewayne.
Setting the dipping sauce bottles aside, the two jumped right into cooking. First, Joewayne mixed the 1 pound ground meat, 2 pcs of minced onions, and 2 pieces of minced carrots in a bowl. Once thoroughly mixed, he added 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 1 ½ tablespoons of garlic powder, 2 ½ teaspoons of black pepper, ¼ cup Datu Puti Soy Sauce, and two eggs to bind all the ingredients together.
After mixing all the ingredients, the challenging part now comes: wrapping the filling inside the spring roll wrappers. “We just need to have one wrapper and put 2-3 tablespoons of the filling. Pero depende pa rin sayo kung gaano kalaman yung gusto mo,” said Joewayne, who was trying to make a demonstration.
After folding, he brushed a small amount of egg wash on the edge to seal the lumpia wrapper with the yummy filling inside. Once it’s sealed, it’s ready to fry in 1 1/2 quarts oil and on low heat. “Pag golden brown na yan, hanguin na natin,” Joewayne said.
Vince and Joewayne also suggested placing a tissue on the plate to soak up excess oil, helping to cut down on cholesterol.
In just a few minutes, the Lumpiang Shanghai was ready to eat! Vince and Joewayne whipped out bottles of Jufran Sweet Chili and UFC Banana Sauce for the perfect dipping experience.
The Lumpiang Shanghai was served with white rice, but you can enjoy it however you like. Vince shared a handy tip: cut the Lumpiang Shanghai into bite-sized pieces using scissors.
Vince tried dipping the Lumpiang Shanghai into the Jufran Sweet Chili sauce while Joewayne tried the UFC Banana Sauce. “Talagang nagko-complement yung UFC Banana Sauce sa flavors ng Lumpia,” said Joewayne.
“Para sa mga team Jufran Sweet Chili sauce, ano pang hinihintay niyo? Mag Lumpiang Shanghai na kayo!” Vince said.
Vince also commented on the umami flavor of the Datu Puti Soy Sauce. “Actually, yun talaga ang pinaka seasoning natin dito,” Joewayne added.
Thanks to NutriAsia, beginners who want to know how to cook Filipino dishes can capture that Filipino taste they’ve been craving back home. These recipes can be a great addition to your feasts during special occasions, allowing you to celebrate your Filipino culture wherever you are in the world.
